The government’s socioeconomic planning unit in Mindanao plans to tap the community of peace advocates and development workers to staff its area offices in four strategic regions in the island. In an e-mailed announcement, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said it would put up four area management offices (AMOs) across Mindanao in its bid “to effectively implement and monitor Mindanao-wide programs and projects.” It said the specific locations of AMOs were yet to be identified, but these offices would be set up in Western Mindanao; the Zamboanga Peninsula in Northern Mindanao; the Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte and Misamis provinces in South-Central Mindanao; the Cotabato provinces; and North-Eastern Mindanao or the Surigao and Agusan provinces.
Janet M. Lopoz, MinDA executive director, said the AMOs would “ensure fast and stronger coordination with regional line agencies, local government units and congressional district representatives.” The AMOs would serve as MinDA’s direct links to various sectors and stakeholders in Mindanao. She said the MinDA would start hiring area management office staff starting next month. “I invite Mindanawon professionals, especially those who have backgrounds in peace-building, monitoring and evaluation and development work, to be part of the MinDA family as we are hiring for our AMOs,” she said. Applicants may e-mail their application letter and updated resume to
hr@minda.gov.ph
on or before Nov. 29. She said the MinDA would hold a series of examinations for its AMOs in North-Eastern and Northern Mindanao in Butuan City on Dec. 4 and Cagayan de Oro City on Dec. 5. Those who have been shortlisted from Western Mindanao and South-Central Mindanao would be notified through text or e-mail for their examination schedules. The MinDA said there were 20 posts for administrative, technical and managerial positions. “Among the vacant positions are development management officers [managerial and technical] and administrative assistants,” she said.
The MinDA was created under Republic Act 9996, and was mandated “to promote, coordinate and facilitate the active and extensive participation of all sectors to effect the socioeconomic development of Mindanao.” The law provides that MinDA shall formulate an integrated development framework for Mindanao that is consistent with the peace and development initiatives of the national government. The MinDA statement said the agency was also designated “to integrate, prioritize, program and implement, whenever allowed and authorized by applicable laws, Mindanao-wide, inter-regional and region-specific programs, activities and projects with Mindanao-wide impact, including Official Development Assistance projects.” The MinDA is the country’s official and permanent Philippine coordinating office for the Brunei-Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines East Asean Growth Area.
